Harvard University Hacked: Login Information Possibly Exposed

One of the world’s top rated colleges, Harvard University, has notified students and staff that the school is investigating a possible security breach in their Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Central Administration information technology networks that investigators say may have compromised data including email addresses and passwords.

According to thecrimson, Harvard University became aware of the breach June 19, as written in a joint statement made from Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 and Executive Vice President Katie N. Lapp released Wednesday. The University also said the school is working with federal law enforcement and security experts to properly investigate the scope of the breach.

Garber said there is no indication any personal or research information was accessed in the Harvard breach, but other data may have possibly been exposed. The school cannot accurately release details what was stolen as the investigation is ongoing.

According to the joint statement, officials currently “have no indication that personal data or research data have been exposed,” but school officials have urged affiliates and other University schools to change their Harvard email password immediately in response to the breach.

Specifically, school officials have contacted the following affiliates and University’s, urging them to change their passwords immediately, including Harvard’s central administration, FAS, Harvard Divinity School, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the Graduate School of Design, the Graduate School of Education, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the School of Public Health.

Meanwhile, following the Harvard University hacking incident, affiliates of Harvard Business School, the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the School of Dental Medicine were prompted not to “take any action at this time.”

In an email sent to college students from the University Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Anne Margulies, requested students change their University email password and to anticipate extended wait times for any IT help desk related issues.

The Harvard University hack follows a recent hack the Harvard Institute of Politics faced, when a group of Pro-Palestinian hackers allegedly defaced the site for a short period of time.

“The security of your information is our top priority and we are taking this incident very seriously” said a website created for the sole purpose of answering students questions related to the breach. “Higher education is one of the most targeted industry for cyber attacks, and Harvard frequently detects and repels threats. As attacks become more sophisticated, information security teams must quickly adapt and respond to stay one step ahead.”